[+2039 Mana Absorbed!]
The system dinged, with an echo as Jinwoo had fully absorbed the mana from the dead corpse of the gaint orc he had defeated just now.
"That's a lot.." he mumbled to himself, rubbing his chin.
"Open status window".
Ding!
[Player Status Window]
Name: Park Jinwoo
Age: 25
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 65 kg
Title: [Forest Annihilator, Perfect Victim, +3 ]
Level: 57
EXP: 3749/4892
Class: [Spellweaver]
Job: hunter, probably?
HP: 8610/9500
MP: 5600/5600
Strength: 52
Agility: 64
Stamina: 50
Intelligence: 71
Luck: -1
Charisma: [tch!]
---
"It's still as unserious as ever." Jinwoo sighed.
He put on a calm facade until it was shattered the moment he took a clear look at the screen.
"...Hey, why's my luck in negative? And what do you mean "tch!" !?"
[Just what's written.] The voice replied, amused by the reaction it had expected.
Jinwoo sighed and asked
"Okay, whatever! What's next?" He swiftly sat down on his hip and crossed his legs.
[Next is, Another mission.] The voice, once again replied.
"Can't you send me home now?" Jinwoo asked.
[Nope. You're still in debt.]
The system's voice was cheerful, almost smug.
Jinwoo clicked his tongue. "Debt? I just killed a freakin' elite orc! That should cover—"
[You also destroyed three trees, scared away five horned rabbits, and vaporized a 200-year-old healing herb. Congratulations. You owe the forest ecosystem approximately 3,020 Karma points.]
"…You're joking." jinwoo awkwardly laughed.
[No. But if you kill one more boss-level creature, you'll be eligible for a Karma Debt Discount Coupon.]
"Why does that sound like a scam?"
[It is.]
Jinwoo dragged a hand down his face. "Fine. What's the mission?"
[Eliminate the 'Gate Gnawer'. Danger Rank: A+. Location: Below.]
"Below wha—"
Before he could finish, the ground beneath him disintegrated.
"Waitwaitwaitwa—!"
THUD!
He landed painfully on something soft yet… bony. He groaned, opening his eyes to see piles of monster skulls stacked like bean bags in a grotesque lounge.
"…Did I just fall into a boss lair?"
[Hint: Look above to find the answer]
Just as the voice recommend, he looked up.
On the ceiling was a massive spider hanging upside down, it's legs sticked on the huge webs.
Jinwoo blinked — then immediately looked downwards.
Apparently, if you don't see it, it doesn't exist.
But, that's what just jinwoo thought..
…but the Gate Gnawer didn't care what he thought.
SSSSSKREEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
A shriek rang through the underground chamber like tearing metal. The spider dropped from the ceiling, legs flaring outward like spears. Jinwoo leapt backward, rolling through the bones as they crunched under him.
"I hate spiders. I really hate spiders," he muttered, firing a quick burst of fireballs at it's eyes.
The creature scream and hit the ground, making the whole lair quake. Its body was long and armored, its mouth filled with gnashing mandibles. One leg twitched unnaturally—clearly broken from previous battles.
[Gate Gnawer — Lv. 65 — HP: 42,800/42,800]
[Abilities: Web Trap, Mana Drain, Phase Step, Digestive Doom.]
[Fun fact : She doesn't likes People with the letter J or H in their name.
"You made that up." Jinwoo blurted.
[I did not]
"I have both J and H in my name!" Jinwoo yelled. "Twice!"
[Unfortunate.]
The Gate Gnawer screeched again, but this time… it sounded almost mournful. A low, throaty rumble followed, like a sigh that echoed through the bones.
Suddenly—
[Side Quest Activated: Tragic Love of the Widow Fang]
[Description: Before she became the Gate Gnawer, she was Ishthara, queen of the Verdant Webs. Her heart was once tender, her soul warm. Until the day Jharnyx, her husband, ran away with a flying mantis from Sector 4-B. He said she was "too clingy." Now she eats anyone with a J or H in their name out of pure spite.]
"…WHAT?!" Jinwoo shouted.
The spider paused. It tilted its grotesque head. For a brief moment, its many eyes flickered with something that looked… like sadness.
[Voice Log Detected: "He said I spun too many webs around his heart… So I spun him into one. Permanently."]
"…Did she kill him?" Jinwoo whispered.
[No. He escaped. Left behind only his hat and a divorce contract stapled to a roach.]
The Gate Gnawer growled softly, its limbs curling slightly. It wasn't attacking anymore.
She just stared.
"…I feel bad now," Jinwoo muttered. "She's just… lonely."
[True shi]
"Can I communicate with her?"
[Initializing "communicate with people not like you!"]
[You have now gained access to talk with animals, do it]
"Why does it sound like it's from cartoon"
[Because it is.]
The system's tone shifted dramatically. A jingle played in the background.
"Talking to beasts, with emotional feasts~! Say hello, with empathy at least!"
Jinwoo blinked. "…Was that a jingle?"
[Welcome to: Beast Bond Mode™. Now go, break her emotional armor before she breaks your literal bones.]
He coughed awkwardly and looked at the spider
"Uh… hi."
The spider froze. Her massive, glimmering eyes widened.
"You… you speak?" Her voice echoed directly into Jinwoo's mind, layered and trembling. "You're not screaming, or running, or… throwing fire like a monkey anymore."
"Was calling me a monkey necessary?"
"You aren't"
[Pfft!] The voice tried to hold back it's laughter.
pass to roast me."
The Gate Gnawer—Ishthara—lowered her body slightly, mandibles twitching as though trying to form a smile.
"That's fair," she said softly. "I just haven't had anyone talk to me in a while… except screaming adventurers and that one raccoon therapist who charged me in teeth."
"...Teeth?"
"I don't have pockets."
"…Right."
Jinwoo took a slow step forward. The webs didn't react. No tension in the air. It was like… she was letting him in.
"So... It's nothing serious, there's a portal i need to enter behind the cave, so can I pass through?"
Ishthara went quiet. Deathly quiet.
Then her legs twitched.
"The portal?" she said slowly, her voice echoing through Jinwoo's skull like cold wind brushing through old memories. "You mean… that portal?"
Jinwoo squinted. "...Yes? Big, glowing, swirly, has that 'touch me and explode' energy? Yeah, that one."
Ishthara reared back slightly, her mandibles clicking in a sharp rhythm that resembled nervous laughter.
"That portal… leads to the Undermind."
"Cool name. Still gonna walk through it."
"Foolish name. Still gonna traumatize you."
Jinwoo blinked. "…Traumatize?"
"Yes, it is said, that portal leads to another world." She replied.
"Is the other world called earth by some chance".
"I think it's called eurnvaj."
Jinwoo stared, sighed — looked up, down.
Sighed again.
"System, she's playing with me right?"
[No, it's earth. The language system malfunctioned]
"I see..."
He looked at her and patted his own neck.
"Well, Miss spider. It's the right portal. So, would you mind if I enter?"
"I won't." She replied, moving her huge body aside.
Jinwoo gave her a small, respectful nod. "Thanks, Ishthara. And… take care of yourself, alright? Maybe cut back on the eating adventurers part. You're funny. You deserve better."
Ishthara's mandibles twitched softly, her voice barely a whisper.
"Good luck, monkey-boy."
Jinwoo turned toward the portal. It pulsed with a strange, slow rhythm—like it was breathing. He adjusted the cloth sling holding the glowing egg and stepped closer. The mana around it buzzed louder, like static whispering directly into his bones.
[Warning: You are entering the Mind Fracture Zone. Expect hallucinations, identity distortion, and possible internal monologue arguments.]
[Estimated Recovery Time: lol]
"…Comforting."
He took a breath.
And stepped in.
WHOOSH.
Everything went white.
Pure, blinding white. Not even shadows. No walls, no floor, no sky.
Just—white.
He blinked. Then blinked again.
Nothing changed.
[System Syncing: Mindscape Coordinates... Complete.]
[Loading: Cognitive Arena.]
"…What the hell is a Cognitive Arena?"
Then, a voice spoke.
His voice.
"You're late."
Jinwoo turned slowly—and froze.
Standing just a few feet away, wearing the same clothes, same sling, same everything… was him.
But different.
This Jinwoo had a faint smile on his face. And his eyes—
They were glowing.
"Guess we're finally meeting, huh?" the clone said, stepping forward, hands in his pockets. "You… the real you… or the weak one. Depends who you ask."
Jinwoo narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
The clone, or Hajin, smirked "Who else?
[Mission: kill yourself.]